2004 Minutes of the PSCF Annual Meeting

by Joseph J. Mucerino, Jr.PSCF Secretary

The meeting opened at 9:56 a.m., August 22, 2004.

Four items were discussed.

The PSCF is doing well financially. Membership dues cover PennsWoodPusher and other expenses with an excess of @$2000. The profit from all of the various tournaments in Carlisle (excepting $250 left to grow the scholastic fund) is used to help fund the winning teams and individuals at the Nationals. The events that Dr. Riddle runs are largely break-even or moderately profitable, while any profit from the tournaments that President Martinak runs in Pittsburgh is to be used to cover any other tournament losses occurring there and to fund the Western PA Junior Invitational.

The PSCF will be producing another publication called the Pennswoodpusher Annual. This will be circulated to members, clubs, and tournament directors around the state as an outreach venture to try to inform everyone what the PSCF is all about, have a summary about what occured in the prior year, and include some items that did not fit in the Pennswoodpusher. The cost will be about $500 annually, which will come out of the $2,184.50 net income. There will be no raise in dues; they will remain $5 a year.

Next year, Central Pennsylvania is due to host the State Championship. Originally, the Tullah Hanlley Grand Prix, ran by Dr. Robert Ferguson in Bradford, was going to be the event that decided the championship next year. However, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford informed Dr. Ferguson that they would not allow him to use the campus to hold the Castle Chess Camp and the Tullah Hanley Grand Prix next year. He is currently looking for another site to hold the chess camp. If the site is in Central Pennsylvania, then that tournament will crown the state champion. But since Bradford is so close to New York, Dr. Ferguson may move the camp across the border, and we will be unable to use a New York event as the Pennsylvania State Championship.

Other sites were discussed both in the meeting, and informally prior to the meeting. All were negated:

CARLISLE - Some players (as well as myself) were wondering if the Clarion Hotel, where the state scholastic championships were held this year, could be used to hold the State Championship next year. It would cost the PSCF $1,500 to rent a room that holds about 200 people on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, which is about ten times more than the PSCF paid St. Luke's Church in Allentown for this year's event. While the site is fine, it is too expensive.

CAMP HILL - The venue of the 2002 championship was turned down because a PSCF quad a few months later had to be cancelled because the library double booked the room and kicked us out. We cannot risk that again. Also, while the event was well attended, the players did not like the site because it was too crowded.

SEVEN VALLEYS - The Light of Life Performing Arts Studio is too small, and we cannot get it on Sunday.

STATE COLLEGE - While we can get the right venue at the right price, there was very poor attendance in the years that State College hosted the State Championship.

The State Championship is currently open to bids. Do not be scared off by the word "bids". All you or your club has to do is collect PSCF dues from non-members, and write a check to the PSCF for $5 times the number of new and renewing members. You or your club will have to find a site, do the advertising, and run the tournament, and also incurr any profit or loss the event makes. If you do not want to run the event, but think you know of a good site that can hold about 150 people, please contact Tom Martinak no later than December 1.

Every two years, there are elections at the Annual Meeting. This was one such year, and the following people were elected to the following positions unanomously: